Three people, including a teenage boy, have been arrested after a horse had to be put down following a "horrific" and "prolonged attack".

A vet put the horse to sleep on Nutfield Marsh at around 3pm on Monday (January 13) while two men in their 30s and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.

All three have been released on police bail until Thursday March 13.

Neighbourhood Officer PC Alice Bennett said: "This was a horrific incident, where a defenceless animal was subjected to a prolonged attack in a public place during daylight hours.

“Thankfully incidents of this nature are rare in this area, however, Nutfield is a small, close knit community and no doubt this offence will have some impact on the residents but we will do all we can to reassure local people.”

Officers from Surrey Police have launched a joint investigation with the RSPCA.

Anybody with concerns over the incident or information which could help officers can call Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference P14011987.